350 children in Rochdale will receive little to no presents this Christmas

Petrus Christmas tree in its community store with the gender and ages of children who are unlikely to receive a Christmas gift this year

For the fourth year running, Petrus, in partnership with Rochdale Social Services, has adorned the Christmas tree in its community store with the gender and ages of children who are unlikely to receive a Christmas gift this year.

The charity is asking members of the public to take on the role of Father Christmas to make sure that these children don’t miss out on opening a gift on 25 December.

Pam Barrett, Petrus Community Store Manager, said: “At Petrus, we work with some of the most vulnerable members of our society. And we’re so proud to partner with Rochdale Social Services for the fourth year to spread some Christmas cheer to children in our area.

“Last year, thanks to the generous support of the Rochdale community and afar, we made sure that almost 200 children had a gift to open on Christmas morning. This year, the number of children who will receive little or no presents is higher than ever, so we need your support again.”

If you would like to get involved, please visit:

• Petrus Community Store, Hamer Lane, Rochdale OL16 2UL - return your gift unwrapped by the 10 December.
• NatWest, Town Hall Square, Rochdale, OL16 1LL – return your gift unwrapped by 8 December.
• M&Y Maintenance and Construction, Bold Business Centre, Bold Lane, Saint Helens, WA9 4TX - return your gift unwrapped by 6 December.

Take a name tag from the tree and buy a present for between £5 and £10.

You can also help by donating rolls of wrapping paper to the Petrus Community Store.

If you don’t have time to buy a gift and want to donate some money or for more information visit:

• www.petrus.org.uk/news/christmas-toy-appeal-2905